Cushion for resting legs high

ABSTRACT

1,033,492. Bolsters. I. WINKLER [trading as DR. IRMA WINKLER]. Jan. 6, 1965 [Jan. 9, 1964], No. 498/65. Heading A4M. An inflated bolster for supporting the leg in treatment of phlebitis comprises a part 1, supporting the leg from the knee to the ankle, and a wedge-shaped part 2 for supporting the thigh. The bolster is made of rubber or synthetic plastics and the part 1 may be divided by partitions 3 into separate air chambers each with an inflation nozzle 4. The upper surface may have a resilient covering, e.g. of foam rubber.

March 14, 1967 WINKLER ,4

CUSHION FOR RESTING LEGS HIGH Filed Dec. 21, 1964 INVENTOR IRMA WINKLER ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,308,489 CUSHION FOR RESTING LEGS HIGH Irma Winkler, Maxingstrasse 68, Vienna XIII, Austria Filed Dec. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 419,867 Claims priority, application Austria, Jan. 9, 1964, 159/64 4 Claims. (Cl. 5338) Resting legs high is an important therapeutic measure in curative and preventative treatment of thrombophlebitis. Detailed experiments have shown two essential conditions for the proper way of resting legs high:

(1) Pressure on the veins must be avoided. To achieve this there must not be a level difference between the point where vena cava enters the right auricle and the veins in the legs.

(2) The knee joint has to rest in a semi bent position to guarantee the complete relaxation of leg muscles.

Until now there have been used for this purpose contrivances for lifting the heel, wedge-shaped cushions, keeping the whole leg in an oblique position, and square cushions which support the leg only in the calf. It is obvious that these devices do not answer the requests and, if being applicable at all, show remarkable faults. Contrary to these a cushion for resting legs high according to the invention shows a square form with a wedgeshaped part adjoining to one side wall.

According to another feature of the invention the square part of the cushion has a height of about 17 cm. (6% inches). This is equal to the height difference between the point where vena cava enters the right auricle and the veins in the legs While the patient is lying on his back, this difference being independent of the patients stature.

The cushion may be manufactured of rubber or plastics in usual way and be inflatable. According to the invention the cushion is divided into several compartrnents by vertical walls standing across. Thus the pressure of the cushion surface against the leg may be varied and adjusted to the local necessities.

The drawing shows an example of the described cush- The relevant cushion consists of rubber or plastics. The square part 1 is of adequate size for resting the heel and the whole shank. The height is about 17 cm. (6% inches). The one side of the cushion facing the ham is oblique and wedge-shaped 2, adjoining to the square part 1. Thus the knee joint can rest in a semi bent position to guarantee a complete relaxation of leg muscles. By vertical walls, standing across 3, compartments are made, each of them having a valve for inflation 4. If the cushion is not charged the walls of the compartments are slightly curved outward. The pressure may be regulated ad libitum and therefore the pressure of the surface against the patients leg may be varied. At the same time all the demands of modern nursing are satisfied as the cushion is easily washable and inflatable and can easily be stored when not in use.

Examination of circulation by radioactive isotopes have shown that the venous refluence is speeded up by twenty (20%) percent and thus the venous stasis, one of the main sources of thrombosis, is avoided.

According to the invention the cushion may also be stuffed and be furnished on its surface with an elastic cover (foam rubber or something alike). Though the width of the cushion generally will be made adequate for resting two legs, it may be possible to manufacture cushions in a suitable width for resting high only one leg.

What I claim is:

1. A cushion adapted for use in the treatment of thrombophlebitis comprising at least one compartment of sufficient height to maintain the heel and shank of a reclining person at a raised level and in a substantially horizontal position, and an additional, substantially Wedge-shaped compartment fully to support the ham in inclined position, each of the said compartments being separately inflatable, said Wedge-shaped compartment along the line where it joins said first-mentioned compartment being adapted to support and rest the knee joint in a semi bent position to assure complete relaxation of leg muscles, whereby the backflow of blood through the veins will be at its maximum.

2. A cushion as defined in claim 1, in which the said height is approximately 6% inches.

3. A cushion adapted for use in the treatment of thrombophlebitis comprising a plurality of separately inflatable pneumatic compartments connected to form a structure of suificient height to support the heel and shank of a reclining person at a raised level and in a substantially horizontal position, each of said pneumatic compartments having means for varying the air pressure therein to accommodate to the pressure desired on the localized area of the leg to relieve the pressure on the veins, and a separately inflatable, substantially wedgeshaped compartment connected at one end of the said structure, and adapted fully to support the ham in inclined position.

4. A cushion as defined in claim 3, in which the height of the said structure is approximately 6% inches.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,118,973 12/1914 Troesch 5327 2,136,510 11/1938 Jenson 5349 2,589,013 3/1952 Martin 5--337 FOREIGN PATENTS 378,414 8/1932 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CUSHION ADAPTED FOR USE IN THE TREATMENT OF THROMBOPHLEBITIS COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE COMPARTMENT OF SUFFICIENT HEIGHT TO MAINTAIN THE HEEL AND SHANK OF A RECLINING PERSON AT A RAISED LEVEL AND IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION, AND AN ADDITIONAL, SUBSTANTIALLY WEDGE-SHAPED COMPARTMENT FULLY TO SUPPORT THE HAM IN INCLINED POSITION, EACH OF THE SAID COMPARTMENTS BEING SEPARATELY INFLATABLE, SAID WEDGE-SHAPED COMPARTMENT ALONG THE LINE WHERE IT JOINS SAID FIRST-MENTIONED COMPARTMENT BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT AND REST THE KNEE JOINT IN A SEMI-BENT POSITION TO ASSURE COMPLETE RELAXATION OF LEG MUSCLES, WHEREBY THE BACKFLOW OF BLOOD THROUGH THE VEINS WILL BE AT ITS MAXIMUM. 